Mbabane – The Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) have urged community members, particularly women involved in stokvels, to be vigilant when handling group savings following a series of scams, robberies and internal fraud cases reported in this time.
During a police campaign held at Mayiwane Inkhundla, police representatives issued strong warnings about criminals who target people immediately after they withdraw large sums of money from banks. Officers cautioned the public to avoid allowing unknown individuals to approach, greet or offer random assistance when they are carrying large sums of money especially when they are in town to buy stokvel groceries.
“Do not give your money to people you do not know,” police said. “Scammers will show you trucks, or pretend to offer help, and before you know it, you have handed over your money to complete strangers.”
Police noted that several women participating in stokvels had fallen victim to such schemes, losing large amounts of savings they had collectively contributed.
Police also raised concern over cases where individuals entrusted with keeping stokvel money later claim the funds were stolen or lost under mysterious circumstances.
“There are criminal activities nowadays where your stokvel treasures tend to do, they eat the stokvel money,” an officer explained.
“When it is reported, we arrive to find only the money box burnt—but the rest of the house is perfectly fine. We ask ourselves how does a box burn alone while the house remains untouched?”
Officers warned that anyone who misuses stokvel funds and attempts to cover up their actions by burning boxes or blaming witchcraft will face serious consequences.
“If you have used the money with the hope of paying it back, tell your stokvel members immediately. Do not act clever,” said police representative LaMalambe. “When you burn the money box and lie about it, you will now face two charges — fraud and theft.”
Authorities urged stokvel groups to work closely with law enforcement for their own safety. They encouraged members to visit police stations whenever they feel unsafe or suspect criminal activity.
“We can help you count and divide the money safely,” the officers said. “If you are transporting large amounts, police can even escort you to avoid hijacking or robbery. Seek help before it is too late.”
The police expressed concern over repeated reports of stokvel robberies involving large sums with some groups reporting losses of up to E100 000, despite the availability of police assistance.
“Our senior has just cautioned you about this. It is better to involve the police early than to lose your hard-earned savings.”
This campaign emphasised on the importance of transparency and early reporting. Police assured residents that they are committed to helping protect community savings and preventing both external scams and internal fraud. Stokvel groups were encouraged to adopt safety measures, communicate openly and make use of police support to safeguard their finances.
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